Bishop calls for resumption of Rome peace talks to silence guns
The Bishop of Panyana Diocese in Morobo County, Seme Nigo has called for resumption of peace talks between the South Sudan government and hold-out opposition groups in Rome.
Last year, the government of President Salva Kiir called off peace talks following deadly attacks by the National Salvation Front (NAS) led by Gen. Thomas Cirilo Swaka in Central Equatoria region.
“Peace cannot come from outside the country but from within. I call upon the non-signatories to the peace agreement to reach consensus with government so that our people in neighboring countries can return to their homes,” Nigo said in a statement issued during the sixth civil-military dialogue held in Morobo County of Central Equatoria State.
The Catholic based community of Saint Egidio has been mediating talks between the government and opposition groups under the South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance (SSOMA) since November 2019.
Nigo said the resumption of talks will bring peace to the country.
The dialogue was attended by more than 70 community members, government officials, military personnel and religious leaders.
Ngor Apiet, the Morobo County military commander, said the relationship between South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF) and the civilians has improved.
According to the latest quarterly brief from the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), from October to December last year, the number of civilians harmed increased by 87 percent compared to the same period in 2021.
UNMISS documented several incidents of conflict-related sexual violence by government security force and unknown armed groups as well as community-based militias.
The civil-military dialogue was organized by CEPO with support from International Organization for Migration (IOM), UNMISS, Support for Peace and Education Development Programme, Finn Church Aid and Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative.
Malish John Scopas, the Project Officer for CEPO, said the dialogue aimed to promote sustainable security, peace and development by creating peaceful and conducive environment for returnees and internally displaced persons.
“The civil-military dialogue aimed at creating a problem solving mechanism to tackle civil-military issues in a peaceful, collegial and collateral manner, the Rome peace talks between government and opposition groups, end to all forms violence,” he said.
